Daisy Hill suffered another afternoon of disappointment when they fell to a 3-0 defeat against Steeton in their North West Counties League First Division North clash at New Sirs on Saturday.

After going two goals down inside the opening half hour, Daisy tried desperately to get a foothold back in the game, but a combination of bad luck and missed chances, including a missed penalty, saw them draw a blank before Steeton’s leading scorer Andrew Briggs added a third goal late in the game.

Daisy joint-manager Matt Barnes admitted afterwards that despite the defeat, it was difficult to criticise his side’s overall performance.

“I struggle to comprehend how we have come away with a 3-0 defeat from that game, after having nine shots on target,” said Barnes.

“It’s so disappointing to come in after a 3-0 loss, when we were good value for a win, and having seen the players do everything that was asked of them.

“I’ve not been involved in a game like that for a long time, I just can’t get my head around how we have lost.

“I felt for the first goal there was a foul on the edge of the area, and I think it was a dubious penalty, the ball was going out of play when Kier Barry collided with their player.

“Missing our penalty was a big moment, and I feel that if we had scored that just before half time we would have gone on and won the game.

“But penalties are always 50/50 and it just shows the sort of luck we are getting at the minute.

“Even at half time, we told the players to keep going as they were doing everything that was asked of them, but it just didn’t drop for them.

“When things are tough you just don’t get those breaks going for you.

“It’s hard for managers to come in after a loss, but it was pleasing to see the reaction after last week’s loss to FC St Helens.

“To a man they all grafted, every one of them. I can’t say that anyone had a bad game.

“We just need that little bit of luck, where things drop for us, and if we can take that performance into next week’s game at Garstang, we will be fine.”

Daisy began the game on the front foot, and came close to breaking the deadlock in the 15th minutes when Jake Parker just failed to get on the end of a Jacob Ridings cross to the far post, colliding with the woodwork in the process.

But in the 19th minute, Steeton took the lead with their first clear chance of the game, when a move down the left set up a chance for Jordan Townend to rifle home a low shot from the edge of the box.

It got worse for Daisy just before the half-hour mark, when home keeper Kier Barry clashed with Jake Townsend as he attempted to take the ball past the advancing keeper, and the referee pointed to the spot. The league’s leading scorer, Briggs, made no mistake with the resulting spot-kick.

Daisy responded quickly and Steeton keeper James Catlow made a good stop from a Jack Coop shot, before Catlow was tested again by a Connor Hughes free-kick that he gathered safely.

But three minutes before the break, a great opportunity was spurned when Ridings was tripped in the box, and the referee awarded Daisy a penalty.

Regular penalty taker Parker stepped up, but Steeton keeper Catlow guessed correctly and made a good save down to his left to keep his clean sheet intact.

Catlow was in action again just on half time when he pushed away a long-range Hughes effort, and after the break Daisy enjoyed plenty of the ball but the Steeton defence dug deep to keep them at bay.

The chances kept coming, though, and after a cracking 35-yarder from Kieran Nolan was well held by Catlow, Jamie Ramwell sent Ridings through on goal for a shot that hit the post.

Steeton keeper Catlow again denied Hughes when he tipped over a well-struck free-kick, and with 15 minutes remaining, Parker was unlucky with a shot from the edge of the box that shaved the far post.

But with Daisy pushing forward, they were always vulnerable to the counter attack, and after Barry made a fine save from a Briggs header, the Steeton front man rounded off a good afternoon for his side with his second of the afternoon, striding through the wide open Daisy defence to finish with a low shot into the far corner from the edge of the box.

Daisy’s next game in the North West Counties League First Division North is on Saturday when they travel to face Garstang.